Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls, and Canadian Rockies Hidden Gems
Canmore, Canada
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Gift Experiances / Canada / Alberta / Canmore / Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises / Tours by Duration / Full-day Tours
Product ID: 1080
8 hours
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Offered in: EnglishIf you feel like you’ve seen and done just about everything in the beautiful, but busy Banff National Park, joining us on this tour to the lesser-known but just as incredible Yoho National Park will scratch that adventure itch you’re still working away at.
As Banff’s top-rated tour provider, we run this as a true small-group experience, max 12 guests, giving you access to places bigger tours simply can’t.
Highlighted by stops at the amazing, neon-blue waters of Emerald Lake, Canada’s tallest waterfall at Takakkaw Falls, and one of the Rockies’ best-kept secrets in neighbouring Kootenay National Park, this tour gives adventurous folks access to our personal favourite locations to experience the epic beauty of the Canadian Rockies without the summer crowds.
- Explore the Canadian Rockies’ hard-to-reach gems in Yoho and Kootenay National Parks
- Feel the power of Canada’s 2nd tallest waterfall
- Get off the beaten path and experience the Canadian Rockies’ best-kept secrets
- Comfortable, premium transportation
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off at select Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise locations
- Polaroid souvenir
- Fresh water refills (BYO bottle)
- Local guide trained in photography and storytelling
- Small group experience (max 12 guests)
- Hot drinks (hot chocolate, coffee, or tea)
- Lunch
- Guide gratuities (optional)
Meeting point
Fairmont Château Lake Louise, 111 Lake Louise Dr, Lake Louise, AB T0L 1E0, Canada
Please meet your guide in the Chateau Lake Louise in front of the Concierge's Desk for 8:00 am, public parking is available on the left leaving a short walk to the Chateau.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
1
Kootenay National Park
Kootenay National Park is a land of ice and fire, a place of contrasts, with valleys and canyons carved by glaciers and grasslands shaped by fire. Take a scenic drive along its historic highway to see it all unfold.
Duration:
2
Marble Canyon
Just over the continental divide, where the Rockies cross from Alberta into British Columbia, lies one of our favourite local secrets: Marble Canyon. Here, an easy 1.3-kilometre out-and-back trail crosses several bridges, offering incredible views across the canyon and down into the startling turquoise water of Tokumm Creek below. If you like a learning moment woven into your hikes, stop to marvel at how this little creek carved through the creamy-coloured sedimentary rock over millennia to create the canyon. Otherwise, just marvel at the beauty.
Duration: 1 hour
3
Lower Spiral Tunnels Viewpoint
Step off the Trans-Canada Highway and into a piece of Canada's railway history. This roadside viewpoint in Yoho National Park looks out over the Lower Spiral Tunnels, an engineering feat built in 1909 to help trains climb the steep grade through Kicking Horse Pass. Watch as freight trains disappear into the mountainside and reappear, having spiraled through solid rock to gain elevation. Time it right and you'll see a train crossing directly above itself on the switchback, a rare sight most visitors never know to look for. Beyond the trains, the viewpoint offers sweeping views of the surrounding peaks and forested valley, making it a worthwhile stop even if no train happens to pass through.
Duration: 15 minutes
4
Emerald Lake
It's pretty easy to figure out where Emerald Lake gets its name. If the colour of the lake isn't enough to move you, the surrounding landscape certainly will. The President Range mountains surround the lake, forming a natural amphitheatre of the grandest scale, with towering peaks and forested banks. As our guest on this small group tour, you'll get guaranteed, expedited entry right to the shoreline. Here, you'll have 1.5 hours to explore the lakeside trails, rent a canoe, or simply hang out under a tree and watch the world go by.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
5
Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge is an impressive natural rock formation spanning the Kicking Horse River west of Field, where the slower-moving waters from the Field valley flats begin their descent through a canyon to meet the Amiskwi River. The lookout gives you a variety of vantage points to take in the formation, with interpretive displays explaining the physical processes at work. It's an easy stop, reachable in minutes on Emerald Lake Road. Rushing water sculpted the Natural Bridge from what was once a waterfall, a powerful reminder of how much influence water has in shaping the landscape. The softer rock beneath the bridge's hard limestone band eroded faster over time, and as fissures widened, the river eventually carved a new path beneath the outcrop entirely.
Duration: 15 minutes
6
Takakkaw Falls
At 1,224 feet, Takakkaw Falls is the tallest waterfall in the Canadian Rockies and the second tallest in Canada. As snow and ice melt in early summer, they fuel the cascading water, creating a picturesque mist through the pines. If you're lucky, you may spot a rainbow or two at its base. It's fitting that the waterfall takes its name from the Cree word for "wonderful," pairing perfectly with the national park's name, Yoho, itself a Cree expression of awe and amazement, similar to "wow."
Duration: 1 hour
7
Yoho National Park
Yoho National Park might be one of the smaller parks in the Canadian Rockies, but it packs the biggest punch. Located a little further up the road from the busy, bustling Lake Louise and Banff National Park, Yoho has an intimate feel despite being filled with immense, snow-capped mountains and thundering waterfalls. This beautiful region is heaven for explorers looking to escape the ordinary, and it belongs on everyone's Rockies bucket list. On this tour, your local expert Radventures guide decides the best order to visit each of these locations, based on weather conditions, big bus tour schedules, and a handful of other factors we consider as locals to make sure you get the most authentic experience of the day. As one of our signature small group tours, we'll also take you to a few secret local spots with incredible views along the way.
Duration:
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children 8 and under are unable to join our small group adventures
- Not recommended for travellers with mobility issues
- Lunch is included for all bookings made on or after June 26, 2026. A fresh picnic lunch from one of our local favourites, with a turkey sandwich by default. Have a preference or dietary restriction? Reach out and we'll sort you out with an alternative. Booked before June 26? You can still add lunch by calling us ahead of your tour.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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